Chapter 14

"….And so Voldemort returned, and last year we tried to make people aware of it," Dumbledore explained to Giles, Cordelia and Oz.
 "I can't believe there's this whole magic world that we just didn't know about," said Cordelia.

 "They share similarities with us though," Oz mused. "Another werewolf. Fascinating." 

Harry, Dumbledore and Moody had spent the lat fifteen minutes explaining to the others about the Wizarding world and about Voldemort.

Behind Harry, who was perched on the sofa, the door opened and Xander and Willow came into the room.
 "Did Buffy sort things out with Joyce?" Giles asked them. They glanced at each other.
 "Well, we didn't exactly get that far," Willow admitted, "We kind of had a…heated discussion on the way there, and Buffy went ahead on her own." Giles frowned, a crease appearing between his eyes. Xander and Willow exchanged another glance.
 "We just told her that we weren't over happy about the way she left, and that it wasn't the greatest thing she had come back" he said awkwardly.

 "You said what?" Harry said, standing up. "You idiot. Do you know how excited she was to be coming home? After what she's been through."

 "You don't know what it's been like for us," Willow said, her eyes flashing. "She left without a word us."
 "Right, it's been so hard for you," Harry said sarcastically. "I thought you were supposed to be her friends. You have no idea."

 "About Angel?" Xander broke in, "Yeah she told us." He looked away from Harry's angry gaze.
 "What about Angel?" Giles said, his frown deepening.

  "It turns out my spell worked," Willow said quietly. "But too late, and she had to kill him when he had got his soul back." Silence descended on the room. Giles took off his glasses and polished them, then placed them back on his head.
 "And you said what to her?" he said in a pained voice, addressing Willow and Xander. They had the grace to look sheepish.
 "That she was maybe a tiny bit selfish for leaving like she did," Willow said in a small voice. Giles rubbed his forehead.

 "Do you realise what you could have done?" he said heatedly. "What if she doesn't come back?"
 "We didn't mean to do that," Willow said quickly. "I mean I'm so glad she's back, I am. Just seeing her back kind of reminded me what the last months have been like. We just lost it. But I didn't know about Angel."

"No wonder she left," Giles said sadly. "What she had to got through, and then for him to come back, only for her to have to take him away again." The phone rang, and distractedly, Giles reached for it.
Harry glared at Willow and Xander, wondering how Buffy could have spoken about them in the passionate way she had, and they could treat her like this.
 Giles hung up the phone.
 "That was Mrs Summers," he informed them. "She and Buffy had an argument too, much of the same stuff, and Buffy left. She wanted to know whether she was here." He sighed.
 "She comes home, and all we do is berate her for things she had no control over. She won't want to stay now."
 "Where is she then?" Harry asked. "I can understand why she wouldn't want to see you guys, and her mother, but she would come to us, I know it. She loves Hogwarts." Xander scowled at Harry, but he ignored him.
 "It is important that we find her," Dumbledore said.

 "Well let's go then," Xander said, standing up.
 "I don't think it is a good idea for you to come," Dumbledore said calmly. "She might not respond to you." Xander opened his mouth, but Giles silence him.
 "I agree," he said. "I will go, and Harry, Albus and Alastor. You four stay here, to see if she comes back."

 The four left the house, Giles going one way, Moody, Dumbledore and Harry the other.

Buffy yawned widely, brushing blond tendrils of hair out of her face. She was cold, but she supposed that was because she had somehow kicked off the bed coverings. She tried to reach down to pull them up, but her fingertips touched stone floor and she gasped and opened her eyes, staring directly into the open eyes of Angel.
 "Angel," Buffy breathed. "You're here." He looked back at her and kissed her gently.
 She snuggled into her chest.
 "How?" she whispered to him. "I mean, the Acathla, and you were taken." He kissed the top of her head.

 "I don't know," he admitted. "I was somewhere hot, unbearably hot, and it was painful, and then I was here, with you. I love you so much Buffy." She silenced him with another kiss.
 "I don't care, I really don't," she said softly. "Just as long as you're here. I though I'd lost you forever." Sunlight blossomed through the doors but it did not touch them where they lay.
Buffy heard footsteps sounding on the stone floor outside and looked up, unwilling to remove herself from Angel's embrace and he was not willing to release her.
Professor Dumbledore, Harry and Moody stood in the doorway that led to the courtyard.
 "You've got some explaining to do girl," Moody growled. Buffy and Angle, entangled in one another, got up.
 "Dumbledore?" Angel said, taken aback. He wasn't the only one.
 "You know him?" Buffy exclaimed.
 "We met a long time ago, when I had just got my soul. I was living in New York eating rats when Dumbledore comes to me, and introduces me to Whistler. This guy who helped me," Angel explained. "We kept in touch after that."

"I met him I think," Buffy said wrinkling her nose. "Annoying guy, big with the cryptic?"
 "And old friend of mine," Dumbledore said smiling slightly. "I'm not often baffled, but when I am, I am completely so." Buffy smiled ruefully.
 "I'm baffled too," she admitted. "I was here, saying my goodbye to Angel, I put my ring down, turned to leave and he just appeared."
 "Wait a second, you're Angel?" Harry said suddenly. "But, you were dead."
 "Since 1753 actually," Angel said. "Who are you?"
 "Long story," Buffy said. "In short, left Sunnydale after all the Acathla stuff, went to LA, met Dumbledore, and went to Hogwarts to look out for Harry."
 "Harry Potter?" Angel said his eyes widening.
 "Yes, Harry Potter," Moody spoke for the first time since he had arrived. "Angelus, the scourge of Europe I believe. You'd better keep your fangs where we can see them."
 "Alastor, Angel has a soul," Dumbledore said placatingly. "He's has done since 1898."
 "He's still a vampire," growled Moody, narrowing his eyes with dislike.
 Buffy stepped in front of Angel.
 "Look, I'm not dealing with this now," she said determinedly. "Where's everyone else?"

 "We came looking for you when your friends told us what had happened." Harry said as a way of explanation. Buffy's eyes hardened for a second, and then she relaxed.
 "Are they all at Giles' still?" she asked with an oddly strained voice.

 "Rupert is searching for you as we were," Dumbledore said, looking at her carefully. Buffy and Angel exchanged glances.
 "Then we have to leave," Buffy said quickly. "We can't stay here." Dumbledore looked at Buffy questioningly.

 "I killed her," Angel said suddenly. "Miss Calendar. And Giles wanted to kill me." Dumbledore and Moody nodded, understanding.
 "They can't know Angel is back," Buffy said in a low voice. "I have to sort stuff out with them, but they can't know, not yet." Dumbledore nodded.

 "I trust your judgement," he said. "Angel, you will have to go to Hogwarts, I can send you to a dungeon, but you cannot leave until we return. It would cause panic." Angel nodded. Dumbledore took out his wand and began searching for a suitable portkey object.
Angel turned to Buffy.

"I'll be with you soon," he said hoarsely, and she nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. He kissed her then took the portkey Dumbledore gave him, and was whisked away.

Seconds after that, Giles came rushing into the Mansion.
 "Buffy," he gasped. "Thank goodness we found you. You must come back, Xander and Willow, they're fools, and they didn't mean it. Neither did your mom." Buffy offered his a small smile and followed him out of the mansion. She looked back at Dumbledore, Moody and Harry who followed them. They all knew that her look was swearing them to secrecy.